How does one even begin to review the writing of Louise Erdrich? Her words resonate with ancient mysteries and intricate complexities which draw me into her characters' lives time and time again. This novel is no exception.In The Painted Drum we follow the story through the eyes of different people.Faye Travers risks her moral rectitude and her career as an Estates agent by stealing an incredible Native American drum. It called to her with a single beat and she was overwhelmed by its mystical powers. Her grandmother was an Ojibwe and Faye takes the drum to return it to her tribe, its rightful owners. But before she hands it over, the drum works its magic on her. In a final healing catharsis, she is drawn to talking with her mother Elsie about the childhood death of her sister Netta. The novel concludes with Faye making life changing decisions.There is also Bernard Shaawano, the grandson of the Ojibwe maker of the drum. He narrates the history of the drum, and we learn about the tragic life of Bernard's ancestor. He made the drum by following the instructions he received from his young daughter who sacrificed herself to save her mother, Anaquot. She came to her father in visions, and Erdrich’s masterful use of language and rhythm take us into the heart of a man’s grief for a daughter he loved so much he could not love the son who still lived.The final section of the story relates the story of Ira and her three children. I won’t say more as this is the most powerful section of the book and I don’t want to spoil it. But here the drum comes full circle and, back in its rightful place, it throbs with life and hope.Erdrich has a way of taking a reader deep into the mysteries that surround us: the soul of wolves; the breath of the trees; and the dead who live on in our dreams. Each word, each sentence, has layers of meaning. No matter how mundane the topic - a man mowing a lawn for his lover – everything is intricately linked and woven together, in much the same way that our individual lives are all part of the same fabric of existence. We are one with each other, Erdrich says, and we are one with all of life.In The Painted Drum, her characters are flawed, but Erdrich does not judge them. Rather she shows them with unsentimental clarity and a deep understanding for the forces which drive people to do what they do. Erdrich's compassion is coupled with her skill and her wonderful imagination. Once again, she has written another masterpiece.
This is a beautiful and poetic story about a Native American drum, the healing powers of which span generations. Faye Travers is a middle-aged woman in New Hampshire who, while cleaning out the attic of an elderly person who passed away, discovers a mysterious drum that seems to call to her. She steals it, with the goal of finding its maker and returning it to where it came from. Her mother, Elsie, knows that the drum has significance: "Drums are known to cure and known to kill. They become one with their keeper... No two are alike, but every drum is related to every other drum."The story then takes the reader back three generations to an Indian Reservation in South Dakota. A young woman is fleeing from her husband and son to unite with her new lover when her eldest daughter is killed by wolves. The husband, Shaawano, is so distraught over this that he spends his days drinking, wandering, and neglecting his remaining son, until the ghost of his daughter visits him, calling him to build a drum with the wood that was tucked away many years before for this very purpose. Shaawano discovers a goal and direction in his life making the drum, and no longer wanders aimlessly. The drum saved Shaawano's life, and years later saved the lives of three children who were lost in the woods on a frigid winter night when their house burned down.This is a story about connections. The drum brought together generations of people from different generations, regions, and circumstances. It's also a story about relationships between parents and their children, especially mothers and daughters. It's a beautiful and lyrical depiction of the invisible forces that bind people together.Drums were for getting the sorrows out. "We got sorrows or if we don't work them down, then our sorrows got us... See that's what the drum was good for. Letting those sorrows out, into the open, where those songs could bear them away."
What do You think about The Painted Drum (2006)?
This was a story about death; specifically, the death of a child, and how the people who are left behind deal with the loss. It is couched in Native American folklore, so there is a bit of a challenge involved, to understand the unfamiliar culture and traditions. There is a drum that was created many years ago that, according to Ojibwe tradition, embodies the spirit of a young girl who was literally thrown to the wolves by her own mother. It was recovered from an estate and returned to its rightful owner many years later. The drum's magical powers then saved another young girl and her siblings from certain death. Although all of the characters in the story belong to the Ojibwe tribe, the overriding themes could apply to anyone. This book will no doubt become very useful in the classroom to illustrate the common plight of all humanity and promote tolerance.
—Sharon
The best thing about this book is the author's sense of humor. I almost choked on my coffee a few times when she came up with unexpected bits of funny. Her scene with Kit Tantro and the Winnebagos was really charming and laugh out loud funny. What I didn't like was the abrupt change in time, location and character. For a simple book one had to be paying attention to not be saying, "who is John?"I also wish I knew what happened with Morris and Ira, there is an unfinished feel to some of the character's stories. Kind of a short story feel as we move through the book. Still, all in all, entertaining and artistically detailed. If I could guess which character the author is most like in her personality I would say Netta.Also,I do want to give the author credit where credit is due; I felt the pain. I didn't want to be reminded of my own loss of a child but this book is about children, the loss of children, parental guilt and sorrow, the relationships of parents and children. There is definitely an ouch factor here.
—Chana
This was a beautifully written inter-woven story about loss, grief, and the impact of intergenerational trauma. Written with her characteristic poetic prose, it is a haunting story about how different individuals deal with loss, and the healing powers of a mysterious drum. Although Erdrich may not have intended it, it also raises questions, as it is written mostly about Native American characters, about historical trauma and how historical events can impact families for generations. An excellent read!
—Hazel
